One Month until the Start of the Adventure Racing World Series European Championship in Finland

Athletes from 11 countries will race the ARWS Endurance Quest Saimaa event

The course planning for the European Championship final, held in the Savonlinna, Rantasalmi, Sulkava, and Puumala regions on the last weekend of August, has been completed and the maps are currently being printed.

According to course designer Lauri Hollo, the 250-kilometer route of the championship final will offer competitors a beautiful showcase of Finnish nature. The teams will be challenged in many ways — from the idyllic waves of Lake Saimaa and the navigation-demanding forests of Southern Savonia to fast-paced forest roads and technically demanding trails.

“Over the summer, our course-setting team has gone through every section of the route ourselves, selected final checkpoint locations, and tried to estimate ideal section times as accurately as possible,” Hollo explains about the summer’s work, while also reminding that the weather at the end of August can differ greatly from the early summer test runs. “We also have to remember that weather conditions during an adventure race can change multiple times, which adds to the challenge of scheduling.”

Hollo emphasizes that the route has been designed to be as fair as possible for all participating teams. However, he admits that Finnish teams may have a slight advantage in understanding the Finnish mapping style, as they are more accustomed to Finnish terrain and cartography than most of the European teams.

GPS Tracking and Start Location Announcement

Traditionally, all details of the race course are revealed to participants just a few hours before the start during map distribution. However, Endurance Quest Saimaa will break this tradition and reveal the start location to both competitors and the public on Wednesday, August 27th, three days before the start.

The detailed race route, however, will only be revealed two hours before the start during map distribution. For the public, the route will become visible one hour before the start, when GPS tracking goes live.
Teams will be able to begin speculating on the final route two weeks before the race start, when the ”race scheme” is published. This visual sketch will show each stage’s discipline and distance. With it, teams can better prepare the required equipment and energy planning for each section.

Competitors Travelling from as far as New Zealand

Interest in the European Championship final — Endurance Quest Saimaa — held on the last weekend of August, has been high, although the number of participants will not reach last year's record from the Netherlands. Sixty teams from 11 countries will be on the starting line. The most distant competitors are traveling all the way from New Zealand.

In addition to strong Finnish teams, there are top-level competitors from Estonia, Sweden, the Netherlands, Poland, Germany, Denmark, France, Spain, and Belgium.

“We may have a little bit less teams than last year, but the quality more than makes up for it,” summarizes Hollo, promising a tough battle for a ticket to the 2026 World Championship.

International Outdoor Sport Visibility for the Saimaa Region

The ARWS Endurance Quest Saimaa race is part of the international Adventure Racing World Series (ARWS) which has over 70 races held in 25 countries. Thanks to this international affiliation, the Finnish race receives broad global exposure and reaches millions of outdoor sports enthusiasts.

“Finland offers unique opportunities for outdoor recreation, and it’s fantastic that our partner municipalities Savonlinna, Rantasalmi, Sulkava, Puumala and Juva have understood the potential of this international event to bring global visibility to the region,” says Hollo, emphasizing the visually stunning nature of the event.

Hollo said, ”We believe we’ll reach a million-strong audience, as 70 races across 5 continents form a massive network of people interested in paddling, cycling, trail running, open-water swimming, orienteering, and paddling.”

ARWS CEO, Heidi Muller Travelling from Australia to Finland

First held in 2002, Endurance Quest is a well-respected event internationally. The importance of this year’s race is reflected by the arrival of ARWS Series CEO Heidi Muller. Originally from South Africa and now living in Australia, Muller is coming to Finland to attend the European Championship final.

“This will be Heidi’s first time in Finland, and she’ll stay for a week, then head straight to Canada for the World Championships shortly after,” Hollo explains. “It’s a great honor for us organizers that she’s coming all the way to Savonlinna — just the travel alone is a major effort, even for a seasoned globetrotter like Muller.”

Mysteriously, Hollo also hints that on Friday, August 29, a press conference will be held in Savonlinna, where Heidi Muller is expected to share her first impressions of Savonlinna and Finland — and perhaps reveal some future plans for the ARWS series.
Volunteer Opportunities Available

As with many Finnish sports events, Endurance Quest Saimaa has been run with volunteer support throughout its 20+ year history — out of love for the sport.

“Without the diverse cooperation we have with our partners, we wouldn’t be able to bring this level of visibility to the sport and to Finland,” Hollo said, highlighting the importance of partnerships.

“Of course, not everything can come from partners, but we’ve fortunately found excellent local collaborators who have helped us move things forward in a sensible way to raise awareness of nature tourism in South Savo.” These partners include local climbing and orienteering clubs, as well as Savonlinna’s Lake Rescue team, which will help ensure safety during the lake sections of the race.

Key Facts & Race Timeline

Event Dates; August 28th to September 1st
Race Start; 9.00 August 30th
Prize Giving; 15.30 August 31st
Race Distance; 250km with a 30 hour time limit
Race HQ; Spa Hotel Casino, Savonlinna
Location; Savonlinna, Rantasalmi, Sulkava, and Puumala
Website; https://www.endurancequest.org/

About the Adventure Racing World Series

The Adventure Racing World Series (ARWS) is a global platform uniting professional adventure races in iconic locations to serve a worldwide community of adventurers and endurance athletes. The series includes multi-day expedition-style races in some of the most challenging and remote locations around the world and accessible regional races (lasting a day or weekend) on 6 continents. Each year the ARWS brings together the best adventure racers in the world to compete for the title of Adventure Racing World Champion.